Commercialized graphene production is still in its nascent stage. As a parallel, think about aluminum (or aluminium). It predecessor material, Alum, had been known since the 5th century BCE, but it wasn’t until 1824 when Danish physicist Hans Christian Orsted discovered aluminum metal. Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville was the first person to establish a method to manufacture aluminum around 1854 but at a cost prohibitive price. It wasn’t until the 1890s that the prices allowed aluminum to become more widely used (in jewelry, optical instruments, and some everyday items.) Compared to aluminum, graphene appears to be on a super-fast tract, but it too had to overcome some early difficulties involving price, purity, consistency, energy demands, and eco-unfriendly processes. Many experts expect the 2020s to be the boon decade for graphene as manufacturing comes to scale in an affordable, reliable, eco-friendly manner.

Depending on the production methods used, there could be environmental impact in terms of unwanted chemical by-products and energy requirements. New methods of production show great promise in eliminating these environmental threats. In terms of health dangers, some graphene produced today is 99.8% pure carbon. While it may not taste very good, carbon can be ingested by humans with no negative impact.

No. Graphene can be produced from an unlimited number of feedstocks, including recycled and upcycled materials – basically anything with carbon in it. When the cost of producing graphene becomes advantageous and it can be reliably produced in commercial quantities, it may reduce to cost of a great number of products.

The number of products is almost limitless, but let’s talk about some examples and how graphene can be beneficial. Cement is the oldest man-made material on earth. It is the second most consumed product on earth, only behind water. It is also a very eco-unfriendly substance. Adding a small amount of graphene to cement can increase its strength many-fold, thus reducing the amount of cement needed for a project and, therefore, reduce its environmental impact. When added to an oil or lubricant, graphene can reduce both friction and wear remarkably, allowing engines to function more efficiently and effectively and prolonging their life. Maybe you’ll be able to drive 20,000 or 30,000 miles between oil changes if your oil has a graphene additive. And your engine will last longer, function better at higher RPMs (especially important for Electric Vehicles), and run smoother. Using a graphene infused lubricant on your bike chain will not only prolong it’s life, but will allow you to ride faster and cover more distance with less effort. Graphene is already used in certain tennis racquets, greatly improving their performance, and will soon be in golf clubs. Graphene also has uses in bio-medical applications, computer screens and smart phone devices, coating, paints, rubber, and a myriad of other products.